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Writing and Language Test

35 M I NU TES, 4 4 QUESTIONS

Turn to Section 2 of your answer sheet to answer the questions in this section.

DIRECTIONS

Each passage below is accompanied by a number of questions. For some questions, you
will consider how the passage might be revised to improve the expression of ideas. For
other questions, you will consider how the passage might be edited to correct errors in
sentence structure, usage, or punctuation. A passage or a question may be accompanied by
one or more graphics (such as a table or graph) that you will consider as you make revising
and editing decisions.

Some questions will direct you to an underlined portion of a passage. Other questions will
direct you to a location in a passage or ask you to think about the passage as a whole.

After reading each passage, choose the answer to each question that most effectively
improves the quality of writing in the passage or that makes the passage conform to the
conventions of standard written English. Many questions include a “NO CHANGE” option.
Choose that option if you think the best choice is to leave the relevant portion of the
passage as it is.

Questions 1-11 are based on the following passage.

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1
A) NO CHANGE
Ghost Mural B) which he accordingly titled
In 1932 the well-known Mexican muralist David C) accordingly he titled it
D) it was titled accordingly
Alfaro Siqueiros was commissioned to paint a mural on
the second-story exterior wall of a historic building in
2
downtown Los Angeles. Siqueiros was asked to celebrate A) NO CHANGE
tropical America in his work, 1 he accordingly titled it B) However,
“América Tropical.” He painted the mural’s first two C) Although,
D) Moreover,
sections, featuring images of a tropical rainforest and a
Maya pyramid, during the day. 2 Also, to avoid

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scrutiny, Siqueiros painted the final section of the mural, 3
the 3 centerpiece at night. A) NO CHANGE
B) centerpiece,
4 The reason for Siqueiros’s secrecy became clear
C) centerpiece;
when the mural was 5 confided. The centerpiece of the D) centerpiece—
work was dominated by images of native people being
oppressed and 6 including an eagle symbolizing the 4
United States. Siqueiros’s political message did not please Which choice best connects the sentence with the
previous paragraph?
the wealthy citizens who had commissioned his work.
A) NO CHANGE
They eventually ordered the mural to be literally B) All three sections of the mural were on display
whitewashed, or painted over with white paint. C) The community turned out in large numbers

However, by the 1970s, the white paint had begun to D) Siqueiros was informed of people’s reactions

fade, and the bright colors of the mural were beginning to

5
show through. At the same time, a social and civil rights
A) NO CHANGE
movement for Mexican Americans was working to raise B) promulgated.
awareness of Mexican American cultural identity. Artists C) imparted.
associated with 7 this began to rediscover and promote D) unveiled.

the work of the Mexican muralists, particularly Siqueiros.

6
To them, “América Tropical” was an example of how art
A) NO CHANGE
in public spaces could be used to celebrate Mexican B) included
American heritage while at the same time making a C) includes
political statement. Inspired by Siqueiros and the other D) had included

muralists, this new generation of artists strove to emulate

7
the old mural masters.
A) NO CHANGE
B) it
C) them
D) this movement

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8 The result was an explosion of mural painting

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8
that spread throughout California and the southwestern Which choice most effectively combines the
underlined sentences?
United States in the 1970s. It was the Chicano mural
A) The result was an explosion, the Chicano mural
movement. Hundreds of large, colorful new murals movement, of mural painting that spread
throughout California and the southwestern
depicting elements of Mexican American life and history United States in the 1970s.
appeared during this period, some in designated cultural B) The result was the Chicano mural movement, an
explosion of mural painting that spread
locations but many more in abandoned lots, on unused throughout California and the southwestern
buildings, or 9 painted on infrastructure such as United States in the 1970s.
C) The explosion of mural painting that spread
highways and bridges. Many of these murals can still be throughout California and the southwestern
seen today, although some have not been well United States in the 1970s was the resulting
Chicano mural movement.
maintained. D) An explosion of mural painting resulted and it
spread throughout California and the
southwestern United States in the 1970s; it was
the Chicano mural movement.

9
A) NO CHANGE
B) they were painted on
C) on
D) DELETE the underlined portion.

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Fortunately, a new group of artists has discovered the

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10
murals, and efforts are underway to clean, restore, and Which choice most effectively sets up the
information that follows?
repaint them. Once again, Siqueiros’s “América Tropical”
A) NO CHANGE
is 10 leading the way. After a lengthy and complex B) being cleaned and restored.
restoration process, this powerful work is now a tourist C) at risk of destruction.
attraction, complete with a visitor center and a rooftop D) awaiting its moment of appreciation.

viewing platform. 11 Advocates hope that Siqueiros’s

11
mural will once more serve as an inspiration, this time
At this point, the writer is considering adding the
inspiring viewers to save and restore an important following sentence.
cultural and artistic legacy. When it was painted in 1932, Siqueiros’s mural
was considered offensive, but now it is
acclaimed.
Should the writer make this addition here?
A) Yes, because it provides historical context for the
changes discussed in the passage.
B) Yes, because it provides a useful reminder of
how people once viewed Siqueiros’s work.
C) No, because it unnecessarily repeats information
from earlier in the passage.
D) No, because it makes a claim about Siqueiros’s
work that is not supported by the passage.

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Questions 12-22 are based on the following passage.

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12
A) NO CHANGE
The Hype of Healthier Organic Food B) the purchase of
C) purchasing
Some people buy organic food because they believe
D) DELETE the underlined portion.
organically grown crops are more nutritious and safer for
consumption than 12 the people who purchase their
13
conventionally grown counterparts, which are usually A) NO CHANGE
produced with pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. In the B) these consumers spend
name of health, 13 spending $1.60 for every dollar they C) having spent
D) to spend
would have spent on food that is 14 grown in a manner
that is considered conventional. Scientific evidence,
14
15 therefore, suggests that consumers do not reap A) NO CHANGE
significant benefits, in terms of either nutritional value or B) grown with conventional methods, using
pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.
safety, from organic food.
C) conventionally and therefore not organically
grown.
D) conventionally grown.

15
A) NO CHANGE
B) furthermore,
C) however,
D) subsequently,

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Although advocates of organic food 16 preserve that

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16
organic produce is healthier than conventionally grown A) NO CHANGE
B) carry on
produce because it has more vitamins and minerals, this
C) maintain
assertion is not supported by scientific research. 17 For
D) sustain
instance, one review published in The American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition provided analysis of the results of 17
comparative studies conducted over a span of 50 years; A) NO CHANGE
B) However,
researchers consistently found no evidence that organic
C) In addition,
crops are more nutritious than conventionally grown
D) Likewise,
ones in terms of their vitamin and mineral content. 18
Similarly, Stanford University researchers who examined 18
almost 250 studies comparing the nutritional content of At this point, the writer is considering adding the
following sentence.
different kinds of organic foods with that of their
The United States Department of Agriculture
nonorganic counterparts found very little difference (USDA) reports that organic agricultural
between the two. products are now available in approximately
20,000 markets specializing in natural foods.
Should the writer make this addition here?
A) Yes, because it adds a relevant research finding
from a government agency.
B) Yes, because it supports the passage’s argument
that organic food is less nutritious than
conventionally grown food.
C) No, because it is not relevant to the paragraph’s
discussion of scientific evidence.
D) No, because it introduces a term that has not
been defined in the passage.

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Evidence also undermines the claim that organic

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19
food is safer to eat. While researchers have found lower A) NO CHANGE
B) is having
levels of pesticide residue in organic produce than in
C) has had
nonorganic produce, the pesticide residue detected in
D) has
conventional produce falls within acceptable safety limits.
According to such organizations as the US 20
Environmental Protection Agency, the minute amounts At this point, the writer wants to further reinforce
the paragraph’s claim about the safety of nonorganic
of residue falling within such limits 19 have no negative food. Which choice most effectively accomplishes
impact on human health. 20 this goal?
A) To be labeled organic, a product must meet
certain standards determined and monitored by
the US Department of Agriculture.
B) Organic food, however, is regulated to eliminate
artificial ingredients that include certain types of
preservatives, sweeteners, colorings, and flavors.
C) Moreover, consumers who are concerned about
ingesting pesticide residue can eliminate much
of it by simply washing or peeling produce
before eating it.
D) In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency
estimates that about one-fifth of the pesticides
used worldwide are applied to crops in the
United States.

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Based on scientific evidence, organic food offers 21
neither significant nutritional nor safety benefits for A) NO CHANGE
B) there are
consumers. Proponents of organic food, of course, are
C) there is
quick to add that 21 their are numerous other reasons to D) their is
buy organic 22 food, such as, a desire to protect the
environment from potentially damaging pesticides or a 22
preference for the taste of organically grown foods. A) NO CHANGE
B) food such as:
Research regarding these issues is less conclusive than the
C) food such as,
findings regarding nutritional content and pesticide D) food, such as
residue safety limits. What is clear, though, is this: if a
consumer ’s goal is to buy the healthiest and safest food to
eat, the increased cost of organic food is a waste of
money.

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Questions 23-33 are based on the following passage

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23
and supplementary material.
The writer wants to convey an attitude of genuine
interest and to avoid the appearance of mockery.
You Are Where You Say Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
A) NO CHANGE
Research on regional variations in English-language
B) galvanizing
use has not only yielded answers to such 23 life-altering C) intriguing
questions as how people in different parts of the D) weird
United States refer to carbonated beverages (“soda”?
“pop”? “coke”?) 24 it also illustrates how technology can 24
A) NO CHANGE
change the very nature of research. While traditional,
B) and also illustrates
human-intensive data collection 25 has all but C) but also illustrates
disappeared in language studies, the explosion of social D) illustrating
media has opened new avenues for investigation.
[1] Perhaps the epitome of traditional methodology 25

is the Dictionary of American Regional English, Which choice most effectively sets up the contrast in
the sentence and is consistent with the information
colloquially known as DARE. [2] Its fifth and final in the rest of the passage?
alphabetical volume—ending with “zydeco”—released in A) NO CHANGE
B) still has an important place
2012, the dictionary represents decades of arduous work.
C) remains the only option
[3] Over a six-year period from 1965 to 1970, university D) yields questionable results
graduate students conducted interviews in more than a
thousand communities across the nation. [4] Their goal
was to determine what names people used for such
everyday objects and concepts as a submarine sandwich

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(a “hero” in New York City but a “dagwood” in many

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26
parts of Minnesota, Iowa, and Colorado) and a heavy A) NO CHANGE
B) scholars, and these scholars
rainstorm (variously a “gully washer,” “pour-down,” or
C) scholars, but scholars
“stump mover”). [5] The work that dictionary founder
D) scholars, who
Frederic G. Cassidy had expected to be finished by 1976
was not, in fact, completed in his lifetime. [6] The wait 27
did not dampen enthusiasm among 26 scholars. To improve the cohesion and flow of this paragraph,
the writer wants to add the following sentence.
Scholars consider the work a signal achievement in
Data gathering proved to be the quick part of the
linguistics. 27 project.
Not all research into regional English varieties The sentence would most logically be placed after
28 requires such time, effort, and resources, however. A) sentence 2.
B) sentence 3.
Today’s researchers have found that the veritable army of
C) sentence 4.
trained volunteers traveling the country conducting
D) sentence 5.
face-to-face interviews can sometimes be 29 replaced by
another army the vast array of individuals volunteering 28
details about their lives—and, inadvertently, their A) NO CHANGE
language—through social media. Brice Russ of Ohio State B) are requiring
C) have required
University, for example, has employed software to sort
D) require
through postings on one social media 30 cite in search
of particular words and phrases of interest as well as the 29
location from which users are posting. From these data, A) NO CHANGE
B) replaced—by another army,
C) replaced by another army;
D) replaced by another army:

30
A) NO CHANGE
B) site in search of
C) sight in search for
D) cite in search for

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he was able, among other things, to confirm regional 31
variations in people’s terms for soft drinks. As the map The writer wants the information in the passage
to correspond as closely as possible with the
shows, “soda” is commonly heard in the middle and information in the map. Given that goal and
western portions of the United States; “pop” is frequently assuming that the rest of the previous sentence
would remain unchanged, in which sequence
used in many southern states; and “coke” is predominant should the three terms for soft drinks be discussed?
in the northeastern and southwest regions but used A) NO CHANGE
B) “pop,” “soda,” “coke”
elsewhere as well. 31 As interesting as Russ’s findings
C) “pop,” “coke,” “soda”
are, though, 32 they’re true value lies in their reminder D) “soda,” “coke,” “pop”
that the Internet is not merely a sophisticated tool for
collecting data but is also 33 itself a rich source of data. 32
A) NO CHANGE
Soft Drink Descriptions by State B) their true value lies in their
Highest Percentage Reported
C) there true value lies in they’re
D) their true value lies in there

33
Which choice most effectively concludes the
sentence and paragraph?
N A) NO CHANGE
B) where we can learn what terms people use
pop to refer to soft drinks.
coke
C) a useful way to stay connected to friends,
soda
family, and colleagues.
Adapted from Jennifer M. Smith, Department of Geography, The D) helpful to researchers.
Pennsylvania State University, with data from www.popvssoda.com

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Questions 34-44 are based on the following passage.

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34
A) NO CHANGE
Creating Worlds: A Career in Game Design B) has been
C) are
If you love video games and have thought about how
D) was
the games you play might be changed or improved, or if
you’ve imagined creating a video game of your own, you
35
might want to consider a career as a video game designer. A) NO CHANGE
There 34 were a number of steps you can take to B) elements: the settings, characters, and plots that
make each game unique—
determine whether game design is the right field for you
C) elements—the settings, characters, and plots that
and, if it is, to prepare yourself for such a career. make each game unique—
Before making the choice, you should have some D) elements; the settings, characters, and plots that
make each game unique;
sense of what a video game designer does. Every video
game, whether for a console, computer, or mobile device, 36
starts with a concept that originates in the mind of a A) NO CHANGE
designer. The designer envisions the game’s fundamental B) job, however. No
C) job—however, no
35 elements: the settings, characters, and plots that make
D) job however no
each game unique, and is thus a primary creative force
behind a video game. 37
Conceptualizing a game is only the beginning of a At this point, the writer is considering adding the
following sentence.
video game designer’s 36 job, however, no matter how
Successful communication is essential if a
good a concept is, it will never be translated into a video designer’s idea is to become a reality.
game unless it is communicated effectively to all the other Should the writer make this addition here?
members of the video game development team. 37 A A) Yes, because it supports the conclusion drawn in
the following sentence.
designer must generate extensive documentation and
B) Yes, because it illustrates a general principle
discussed in the paragraph.
C) No, because it distracts from the focus of the
paragraph by introducing irrelevant material.
D) No, because it merely reformulates the thought
expressed in the preceding sentence.

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38 explain his or her ideas clearly in order to ensure that

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38
the programmers, artists, and others on the team all share Which choice results in a sentence that best supports
the point developed in this paragraph?
the same vision. 39 Likewise, anyone considering a
A) NO CHANGE
career as a video game designer must be 40 skilled B) possess a vivid imagination
writers and speakers. In addition, because video game C) assess his or her motivations carefully
development is a collaborative effort and because the D) learn to accept constructive criticism

development of any one game may take months or even

39
years, a designer must be an effective team player as well
A) NO CHANGE
as detail oriented. B) Nevertheless,
[1] A basic understanding of computer programming C) Consequently,
is essential. [2] In fact, many designers 41 initially begin D) However,

their pursuits as programmers. [3] Consider taking some

40
general computer science courses as well as courses in
A) NO CHANGE
artificial intelligence and graphics in order to increase B) a skilled writer and speaker.
your understanding of the technical challenges involved C) skilled both as writers and speakers.
in developing a video game. [4] Courses in psychology D) both skilled writers and speakers.

and human behavior may help you develop 42 emphatic

41
collaboration skills, while courses in the humanities, such
A) NO CHANGE
as in literature and film, should give you the background
B) start to begin their work
necessary to develop effective narrative structures. [5] A C) initiate their progression
D) begin their careers

42
A) NO CHANGE
B) paramount
C) eminent
D) important

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designer also needs careful educational preparation.

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[6] Finally, because a designer should understand the A) NO CHANGE
B) the choice of video game design
business aspects of the video game industry, such as
C) you should choose video game design because it
budgeting and marketing, you may want to consider
D) choosing to design video games
taking some business courses. [7] Although demanding
and deadline driven, 43 video game design can be a 44
lucrative and rewarding field for people who love gaming To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 5
should be
and have prepared themselves with the necessary skills
A) placed where it is now.
and knowledge. 44 B) placed before sentence 1.
C) placed after sentence 3.
D) DELETED from the paragraph.

STOP
If you finish before time is called, you may check your work on this section only.
Do not turn to any other section.

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